You Won't Die
by Merciful Idiot
Summary: 'You won't die'. In a virtual game where anyone could die, the strongest player promised this to a girl with a morbid fear of death. However, what does it mean to uphold such a promise? What does it mean...to truly survive in Sword Art Online? [Kirito x Sachi]
1. To Die

**Before you begin reading, think about what would happen if you died right now.**

**...Okay?**

**You may now proceed.**

* * *

There are unspoken laws that separate the two realms of humans.

One is called 'reality', and the other is called 'game'.

While they are similar in many ways, and can grow to such an extent that it is easy to mistake one for the other, the difference between them is something very important. Something that anyone and everyone must acknowledge.

The difference between a game and reality is that no matter how difficult, no matter how horrifying, no matter how utterly _unbearable_ a game becomes, you will never, ever DIE.

After all, if it was a game of death, then how could anyone possibly smile and hope to enjoy it from the bottom of their hearts?

Sword Art Online had originally been designed to be a game. Perhaps one far more advanced than any other of its generation, but a game nonetheless. Many developers, programmers, and artists had grouped together in order to form the company called Argus and create this absolute masterpiece, with a brilliant game designer called Akihiko Kayaba heading the project. This mimicry of fantasy worlds was such that it was practically guaranteed to be the best possible experience for all gamers out there, and indeed, the beta testing did not disappoint. It had been so realistic and intense that one would find it very hard to call it 'fake'.

She had never really been that much interested in RPGs in the first place, preferring to play things such as detective and puzzle games—however, when the rest of the computer club got really ecstatic about it, what could she do but join in the excitement? Besides, it was promising enough that she would be able to experience a whole new world through this revolutionary new VRMMORPG game.

But barely hours after its debut, it stopped being a game.

After players were tricked into conducting a Full Dive unaware and ended up being imprisoned within it, held hostage by the very console they're wearing, surrounded by monsters everywhere and constantly threatened at every corner with their lives at risk, again and again, without remorse, as if this was nothing more than some cruel, cruel, cruel joke designed to mock all the people who'd just wanted to lie down and enjoy the experience of immersing themselves into a virtual reality—how could anyone call this a mere 'game'?

Both games and reality had communities, cities, food, jobs, pets, weapons, and many other things, but the one thing that really made this false world a reality was the fact that anyone could die.

All the players who'd spent hours, or even days queuing and waiting for the release of the game, they'd all been cut off from the reality they understood, leaving nothing for them but the hell called _Aincrad_. Sure, the one responsible for it said that they would be allowed to leave once they cleared one hundred floors, but how many people would be alive by then? How many would've had to be sacrificed, how many would've had to DIE just for the sake of returning back to their homes and comfort?

Already, over two thousand people were dead. Some due to being killed by the very deadly monsters around them. Some due to suicide, refusing to believe that they were really trapped. And some due to causes in the outside world, be it an unaware friend or family member trying to take off the NerveGear, a malfunction in the device itself, or just plain neglect.

Without a doubt, this world was just as bad the world that they used to call home. Amongst all the chaos and the confusion, only one thing in Sword Art Online was certain. It wasn't a game. If anyone ever called it as such, then they could only be lying to themselves.

Why did something so messed up have to even happen? Why did they have to be toyed with and die simply for the sake of some game, just because someone decided so?

_Why can't we just leave?_

_Is that so much to ask for?_

Holding her knees under the darkness of a damp drain, hidden away from view, all she could do was stare at the water flowing in front of her and have her reflection stare back like a corpse frozen in place, with a cold, expressionless face. A petite body. Dark, shoulder-length hair.

In her opinion, there was nothing especially noteworthy or special about her that stood out about her. She wasn't very athletic, slow on things, and though she liked to tell herself that she was good at puzzles, she was plenty sure that there were a million people better than her.

Four months had passed since they'd been trapped in Sword Art Online, and there she was, pathetically hiding away in such a remote spot far from the main street, the center of Taft. After having tried her best to make it this far with the rest of her friends, she finally couldn't take anymore and ran. Ran, ran, and ran on as far as she possibly could. Or at least, until she realized that there was nowhere else to go, at which point she could only stop.

Occasionally, drops of water would fall near her, so she'd equipped a lightweight mantle over her body to cover it. Not that it helped much, as it was night, and it was just as cold as it would be back in the real world. If they hadn't been trapped, would anyone really want to play such a scary, realistic game? One could only wonder.

Even as she cuddled herself, sitting in silence for what seemed like an eternity, she couldn't really tell what she was hiding or running away from.

"Sachi?" A familiar voice called out to her.

Slowly turning her head up, surprise registered on Sachi's face as a boy her age came into view under the moonlight. He had neat dark hair and equally dark eyes to match, looking about as young as her, if only taller. However, what really stood out was the warm air surrounding him, and even from several meters away, she was able to feel it. He seemed concerned.

"…Kirito."

Having been found, she wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or depressed. How did he even find her here?

"Everyone's worried about you. They've even sent people into the dungeon to look for you," he replied worriedly, approaching her.

At that, she turned her gaze away with reluctance, letting out a short sigh. There really wasn't anything she could do like this, but at the same time, she couldn't just go back after having made her decision. If he insisted on bringing her back, then she would definitely refuse… No, even if she wanted to come back, she neither the strength nor the will to stand up anymore.

As if sensing this, Kirito stopped short, before deciding to sit down with her.

Her guild, the Moonlit Black Cats, had met him while in one of the upper-floor dungeons. He was a solo player that stepped in to help them when he saw that their party was imbalanced. Though, what none of them told him was that the situation had actually been much worse than that. They'd underestimated the new area that they were trying to explore, and hence their health points were running low. It didn't appear like they were going to make it to the exit anytime soon, even though they were all together—the possibility of death was very real back then.

So, when Kirito offered to help, of course they all agreed. He'd given them a little more offense that served to be useful in the long run, and in return, Keita invited him to join the guild.

It must've been a bit awkward for him since he didn't know anyone there. But then again, he'd always been a bit mysterious. Despite being the same level as them, he'd somehow managed to be a solo player for the past four months, whereas everyone else she'd seen in the game so far always had a friend or two to fall back on.

Also, she couldn't help but notice that he stayed quiet when it came to their various hanging-outs and conversations, which wasn't so different from herself, though she highly doubted that it was due to lack of confidence. How to explain? It was like he understood how to live in this world, but preferred to lay back.

Really, for all the information he knew about the game and all the helpful advice he gave, it was a wonder why he even joined their small, insignificant guild.

Well, she didn't have very much proof, but she was able to figure it out after a while. Why he joined them. The close friendship that the computer club had with each other, their openness and relaxed attitudes… These were all things he didn't have. He was a solo player who fought on his own, every single day, unused to having lots of friends around him to talk with. No one else had ever really made the effort to be friends with him.

It was possible that he originally didn't want to be a solo player, and that he'd helped plenty of people before, but, for whatever reason, he ended up fighting alone despite all that.

It was no wonder he accepted their invitation immediately. The Moonlit Black Cats were the first to really appreciate his aid.

Before she knew it, a long silence had passed between the two of them. Nothing but the sound of the flowing water. He must've been thinking that she was weird for acting like this, but honestly, she didn't care anymore.

"Hey, Kirito." Breaking the silence, she decided to suggest something stupid.

"Yeah?"

"Let's…run away."

"Run away?" asked Kirito, confused. "From what?"

Sachi didn't know the answer to that herself, but even though she wasn't sure, her mouth moved on its own to provide a response devoid of any real emotion.

"From this town. From the monsters. From the Moonlit Black Cats... From_ Sword Art Online_ itself."

Her words immediately clicking in his head, his face suddenly rose up with a shocked expression. "Wait, d- do you mean a double suicide?!"

Huh. She'd never really thought of it like that, but then again, it made sense. If she really wished to escape, then there was only one clear, guaranteed way out. A faint smile grew on her face at the thought. She highly doubted that anyone would be able to make it to the hundredth floor. No matter how hard they tried, she knew from the bottom of her heart that this virtual game had been programmed to be unbeatable. It was providing them some hope by providing them with levels to reach and challenges to overcome, but there was no guarantee that any of this would actually help them escape.

"Heh, you know, that's not such a bad idea," she admitted.

Thus, something like suicide would naturally be the best solutio—

"…Sorry, no. I lied. If I had the courage to die, I wouldn't be hiding around in town, would I?"

But, there was no way she could bring herself to such a thing.

Kirito's face relaxed at her response, but it was pretty clear that he was starting to get a bit confused with her roundabout behavior.

It was childish, frankly. Even after running away, she couldn't make up her own mind on what to do.

Even though it hurt inside, she couldn't do anything right.

She didn't even know what she was doing. Lost in her own thoughts, she cuddled herself, unsure of anything.

All she understood was that this game was a horrible, horrible place to be.

"But really... Why can't we just leave?" she asked. "Why do we have to die when it's just a stupidgame? What's the point of going through all this?"

Her words weren't aimed at anyone in particular. After all, if the question was about something which was ridiculous in the first place, then there's no way anyone could possibly give a correct answer. Maybe, if Kayaba Akihiko was right here in front of them, even he wouldn't be able to answer any of them.

The black swordsman looked ahead with a serious expression, and answered, "There's no point to it. No one can benefit from this. The moment we became trapped in this world, we lost what's most precious to us."

_'Lost what's most precious to us'. _

In other words, their former homes. Their former identities. Their former lives. All they had left was the memories of a world that they used to belong to.

Her gaze moved back to the water, which was so realistic that one could almost mistake it for real water. The same applied with practically everything in this virtual world. The system was designed in such a way that, whatever a person observed would be rendered in more detail than something which wasn't, which saved space as well as maintain the illusion that they truly lived elsewhere, though if one looked hard enough, they would be able to barely see the polygons that everything was composed of.

That, along with the health bar at the corner of their eyes and the constant necessity to open the menu each and every day served as a constant reminder that they lived in a game by the innocuous name of Sword Art Online.

So, why couldn't it have been just a game? Why did everyone have to suffer so much? Why couldn't they just have lied down with the NerveGear, enjoy an exhilarating afternoon as they explore the promising new world, and then log out and CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR NORMAL LIVES?

Over time, it looked like most of the players had learned to bear it and make the most of their current situation. They started to let go of their frustration and laugh again instead of panic, all assuring themselves that they'd make it out soon. They dedicated themselves to studying the system and the gaming mechanics, making lives for themselves whilst trying their hardest to forget their worries and fears. It had only been four months, but already they'd reached a quarter through the game. Those people adapted, and became strong as a result of it.

But as for Sachi herself, she hadn't changed one bit. She was still just as terrified as she was on that fateful first day in the plaza, her memories of it just as vivid, her hands still shaking as hard as it was back then.

The only real difference was that she wasn't screaming anymore. Not on the outside, at least.

Every time she had to face a monster, she was risking her life just for the sake of a little col or getting a little stronger, and yet she was expected to do the same thing over and over and over again, without any guarantee that she was getting anywhere by doing this. Truth be told, she wasn't sure how she even found the strength to leave Starting City. It was silly thinking that she could just somehow run away from everything, when the remaining eight thousand players wanted to do just that as well but couldn't.

Why did she even want to run away?

The answer to that was so stupidly obvious that it took her a long time to realize it.

_"I'm afraid...of death."_

She was trembling as she admitted it. The fear which had been eating away at her all along.

In a world where everyone had to risk their lives in order to get anywhere, she was deathly afraid of the fact that someday, she might die. There was no guarantee that anyone would survive to live another day.

Kirito's eyes widened at her response as realization crept in.

"You're afraid—of dying?"

His voice sounded hoarse. It was strange, really. By his reaction, it was like he'd never thought about it before.

The young girl cuddled herself and looked down even more, her breathing uneven. It hurt. She wasn't taking any damage, but just the thought of it hurt. Hurt, hurt, hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt hurt so much that it felt like a growing void, threatening to consume her with each passing day.

"I'm so scared." Everything she said "It only gets worse every night." they felt "Lately, I've been getting so scared that" so empty. "I haven't been able to sleep at all. I don't know when the last time I slept was."

If she tried to talk about it with everyone, they would only laugh at her. Not because they didn't understand, but because they were busy trying not to think about it.

But she couldn't stop thinking about it.

It was true that everyone died someday, but why it did have to come so close? Why did it have to be so soon? She had ambitions and wanted to live out her life, as did everyone else.

What was the point in denying ten thousand people of such a plain, simple right? An unbelievable amount of people had already died because of this, and without a doubt, the remaining eight thousand would follow suit given enough time. Why did they have to be a part of this? Why did anyone have to be a part of something that didn't make any sense in the first place? There was no point, so why? Why? Why? Why why why why why why why why why why why

_WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIE?_

_..._

Then, all of a sudden, the black swordsman lightly told her something impossible, as if to brush away all her worries.

**"You won't die,"** he stated firmly.

Sachi couldn't help but turn towards him in disbelief, since there was no way that could be true. If saying something like _'Let's run away' _was childish, then saying something like _'You won't die'_ could only be even more childish.

"Really? How can you say that for sure?"

"As we are, the Black Cats is a strong guild. Our margin of safety is well above average. Besides, Tetsuo and I are both here, so there's no need for you to force yourself into the front ranks and endanger yourself," explained Kirito, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As if surviving was that simple, and that all their problems could be solved just with more decent equipment and a better party structure. And yet. And yet, and yet why did it sound so nice?

"I really don't have to die? I can go back to reality someday?" Her voice began to rise with hope.

Even though the very idea was ridiculous and childish in every way, she found herself believing in it. She thought she'd lost it for good, but there it was. Hope. Hope that there was something beyond the painful virtual reality that surrounded them all.

_It's impossible, but…_

_...why do I feel like I can believe in him?_

"Yeah," he affirmed, turning back towards her with a warm smile.

Over a long period of time, ice had festered and built up within her to such an extent that the sharp coldness of fear became all that she could feel. And yet, just by looking at him, it was like that fear of hers was melting, like the void was being filled with something else.

"I'm sure the others will clear this game soon enough, and you'll be back before you know it."

With all the stupid things he was suggesting, it was hard to believe in him. They held no weight, and there was no proof to support him. He couldn't possibly believe in it himself, could he? He was just lying through his teeth to comfort her, and they weren't even that convincing at all.

Sachi stared at him with an unbelieving look at first, since it couldn't possibly be true—but then she found herself smiling, for the very first time in four months, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Really...? Do you really mean it?"

"Definitely." Kirito answered immediately. "I promise, you won't die. No matter what."

During her whole time spent within the nightmare known as Sword Art Online, only two things were for certain.

One—that this couldn't possibly be called a game. Anyone who referred to it as such were only lying to themselves.

And two—that hearing him say that would forever be the happiest moment of her life.

* * *

If only it lasted.

For Kirito, the time he spent with the Moonlit Black Cats was unforgettable, and he treasured every moment of it. It was different from what he was used to, the warm atmosphere being completely different from the attitudes of the Clearers on the higher floors. They were slowly growing, getting stronger, and it seemed that if things carried on at this pace, then they would reach the front lines in no time at all.

But on the twenty-second of July, 2023, in a dungeon on the twenty-seventh floor at exactly 5:45 PM, everything changed.

To start off, since they'd saved up enough Col for them to buy a house, their leader Keita had gone off to the Town of Beginnings to do just that, and so, while he was gone, the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats thought that they should get a little money from one of the upper levels so that they could surprise him when he got back. Of course, Kirito had tried to tell them that they should just stick to their usual hunting spots, but he couldn't really explain why without outing himself. Thus, all he could do was suppress the growing worry as he followed them in, hoping that nothing wrong would happen, hoping that the worst possible event wouldn't occur and that their luck would prevail.

He realized now that this was a mistake. The very dungeon they were in was infamous for having plenty of traps, and he should've just made up an excuse such as having read it in the Daily Argo, or having heard about it from another player. Anything would do. Anything would've done.

At all costs, regardless of their level, they should _never_ have come here.

At this point in the game, there was a rare phenomenon that the Clearers had only recently discovered. It was a rumor spreading throughout the rest of Aincrad that, in some of the newer dungeons, there were hidden doors which would seem to lead to a free reward of some kind, but once they entered, alarms would blare out loud and the floor would glow red, signaling that this was an Anti-Crystal Field that prevented teleportation. It was bad enough for the Clearers, but for lower-leveled players to encounter such a thing was nothing short of a death sentence.

And that was

exactly

what had happened.

Before he could stop them, they'd wandered straight into a room with a treasure chest hoping that it would be able to give them some extra Col. However, it turned out to be a trap. The doors closed, and an uncountable number of Mineral Elementals and Dark Dwarf Miners poured in. The rest of them indeed attempted to escape using the crystals, but none were working. There was no escape, and none of them possessed a high enough trap-dismantling level to deactivate the chest triggering it all.

This could have been prevented. This could have been prevented. Really, this could have been prevented.

He should have raised his voice. He should have tried harder. As a Beater, he knew this dungeon inside-out, so he should have done his very best to keep the unprepared Black Cats from ever coming close to this place…!

The enemies advanced without hesitation, and within seconds, the party was overwhelmed. Due to their sheer numbers, they quickly surrounded and separated all five members of the party, making it impossible for them to stick together and maintain any kind of defense. Everyone was panicking to some extent. Even though they weren't sure what was happening, they could instinctively feel their own deaths.

Unable to go on the offensive lest he be assaulted on all fronts by the monsters, all he could do was block and parry everything that came towards him. Even at his level, he could easily be killed if he let his guard down.

However, that was exactly the point. Everyone else was at least twenty levels lower than him. They had absolutely no chance of victory.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ducker being knocked down. The player panicked and scrambled to get back up on his feet, but he didn't have a chance as mining pickaxes were ruthlessly stabbed into him over and over again, pinning him down. Just one of these attacks would inflict more than half his total HP, so it dropped to zero in an instant. Shattering into shards of data with an inhuman shriek, Kirito's breath was cut short.

_No. No, no, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO NO NO NO!_

Even as he tried to reach the others, the monsters were in his way and kept respawning, possibly an unlimited amount of times.

He could focus on defense and last until the trap ends, saving himself. Or, he could risk his life to save everyone else.

It didn't need to be said which of those he chose.

Instantly, he stopped caring about the monsters and violently charged onwards. By destroying them before they had a chance to damage him, he could focus on paving his way to the rest. He was panicking, unable to control his breath or his actions, driven solely by his emotions. Was he screaming out? That wasn't important, since a FRIEND had just died right in front of him and the others may very well follow suit if he didn't do anything. The lives of the Moonlit Black Cats were in serious danger, so this was absolutely no time for him to be hiding his status as a Beater, but even though his level of strength was high enough that each swing of his sword was enough to take them out in one hit, there was just so many that it was impossible to reach anyone in time to save them.

Tetsuo died next, disappearing just as he was scathed by the claws of one of the large Elementals. Even though it was reckless to let his guard down, Kirito couldn't have possibly stopped Sasamaru as he charged in with a vengeance—"DAMN YOU!" —stabbing his lance forth into the creature.

However, not only did it not die since golems were immune to piercing attacks, but it proceeded to slice him apart in exactly the same fashion, without a trace of humanity in its actions.

_'Why'_

_'Why can't we just leave'_

_'Why do we have to die when it's just a stupid game'_

_ 'What's the point of going through all this'_

Before, he thought he was telling her a lie when he said that there was no point to it. Of course, there must've been a point, he reasoned with himself. Perhaps it was a warped social experiment. Perhaps it was a military test. Perhaps it was only to provide entertainment for some television show out there. Anything would work.

But no, it was indeed the truth.

He'd seen players die before, but it was never anything as brutal as this. The others always had some sort of meaning to their deaths, some sort of honor that they accomplished. But as for this, there was no logic to it. No meaning. No POINT. Just programming and bad luck, that was now resulting in the SLAUGHTER BEFORE HIS EYES.

The last remaining member was that girl.

_"Sachi!"_ Kirito was rushing towards her. With all his strength, unleashing his strongest sword skills, he didn't waste any time as he tried his best to get to her. "Sachi, Sachi, Sachi...!"

The sole reason she was still alive was because she had remained on the defensive to the very end, not considering for an instant that she had any chance of survival by attacking—but even that, a weak, low-leveled player could only last so long with so many monsters around them. The look on her face was that of sheer terror and confusion. She wasn't thinking of anything when she used her pole weapon to block the slashes of the golems around her, nothing but trying to survive a little longer.

Which wouldn't be long, since she was going to die.

"Kirito!" she cried out panickedly, successfully parrying yet another attack from the monsters.

However, it was only delaying the inevitable, for no matter what happened, no matter what either of them did, she was definitely going to die.

'Die'.

She was going to die, and nothing would change that.

_She's…going to die?_

Yes. Now that the event had been triggered, it could not be changed. Any decent player would be able to recognize this situation.

Since the monsters spawn infinitely, one had to be at _least _level fifty in order to survive, guaranteeing that there was only one human in this room who would make it out alive.

The boy who, in the beta test, got through the sixth through tenth floors on his own. The boy who fought alone. The boy who took advantage of other players to defeat Floor Bosses and obtain their last-attack drop items. The boy who currently had the highest level in all of Aincrad. The beta tester who was constantly cheating by staying ahead of everyone else and scoring the best quests, taking the best equipment, otherwise known as the Beater. At heart a solo player, he was bound to have become alone again at some point. Abandoned by all those around him, left to fend for himself as a player hated by everyone.

But for all his power, there was no way that he could save anyone of a lower level. No matter how strong they get, even a Beater cannot hope to beat the programming of the game. All his power was nothing more than built-up calculations that came from the system itself.

"SACHI!"

But he wasn't going to think about that. Even if she was going to die, he would save her. Running as fast as he could without any regard for his own safety, diving through the vast hordes of monsters, Kirito endured the sudden onslaught of attacks and reached out his hand as if to grab her and take her away.

He wouldn't make it in time. Looking on in horror, even as he pushed himself to his very limits, he was too far to do anything.

A golem had gotten behind her, and it lashed out with its arm. In less than a second, she would be hit with the overwhelming slash and her health points would be drained. Then, just like that, she would die.

That was how this was going to play out. From the moment they walked into this trap room, something this cruel was only bound to happen.

He tried to run, faster and faster and faster, and just as she was about to be slashed. she turned towards him with widened eyes—and, she still had that look, the same look that she had every night, that glow saying that she trusted him, that everything was going to be alright. Even now, after having failed everyone, she trusted him.

Since she'd had trouble sleeping each night, at some point she came to his room and asked if she could sleep with him. It was nothing romantic, in all honesty. Rather, it was more like two stray puppies licking each other's wounds. He would reaffirm his promise, assuring her that she would be safe, while at the same time she would help him feel better about being a Beater, relieving his guilt a little. Each night, she would give him that same trusting look, the one she had now.

She was afraid of dying, and he'd promised her that she wouldn't die.

That promise was about to be broken, so why? Why, why, why

_Why…can't we just leave this game? Why do we have to die?_

Time slowed down.

.

.

.

_"You won't die."_

No.

Just no.

He made a promise. Therefore, there was no way that he would ever let such a thing happen.

With newfound strength, his feet burst forth, and he found himself moving at speeds faster than ever before. There was no time to think how or why this was possible. All he could do was focus on protecting her, and fight. Charging his blade with white energy, he slashed through the Elemental about to hit Sachi, destroying it just like that.

"K- Kirito?!"

Ignoring Sachi's surprised voice, he didn't have time to celebrate about that since they were now completely surrounded by monsters. Sparing a glance at the party meter, it seemed like her health was in the red zone—therefore, if even a single scratch were to hit her, then she would die. Even if he'd reached her location, defending her from the constant barrage would be nothing short of a miracle.

But that didn't matter. As long as he was alive, not a single creature was going to come close to harming the girl standing next to him.

Moving his sword faster than ever before, he smashed through the Dwarfs and golems, moving in a circular manner with a burst of speed granted by his Sprint skill, thus enabling him to dash from front to front and maintain the defense all on his own. He moved fast and attacked, again and again and again in a crazed fashion, to the point that he couldn't feel his arms and legs, but he didn't give up. He would never give up. If the monsters were an endless tidal surge, then he was a spinning machine that held everything back. There would be no end to this. How could there ever be an end? Each enemy would be killed before they could even begin to deal any damage to either him or the girl he was protecting, and he wouldn't be able to stop as long as the enemies kept on spawning. Therefore, this could potentially go on forever.

However, like everything else in reality, there was no such thing as 'forever'.

Sooner or later, something must occur to end an ever-repeating cycle.

And so, in the end, the red lights faded away and the waves of monsters ceased.

Perhaps it wasn't that they spawned limitlessly, but that they spawned a hundred times or more, which Kirito had miraculously managed to exceed. Or perhaps the game system recognized that spending extra effort on rendering monsters that were going to be killed anyway would be pointless, and so it ceased the trap function. Who knew?

In any case, it ended. It was over, and Kirito was finally allowed to stop moving. Even though he was only an avatar in a virtual world, his mind had been strained too much, overexhausted, which reflected in his current state. If his brain slipped into a coma right then, it wouldn't be much of a surprise.

"Are you…safe, Sachi?"

Even though his health was in the red zone and his body was in a much worse shape, he asked such a question, so tired that his vision wasn't even working right now. His body felt like it was made of metal.

For a passing moment, there was no response. Only silence, and the heavy, forced breathing which could have only been his own.

"Sachi? Sachi? Sachi…?!"

Was she not there? Had she really died? As the silence continued on, and as he was unable to move or say anything, a dark horror was settling in. Even after all his efforts, there was a horrifying fear starting to grow in his heart that he'd let an attack get past, which got her killed without him noticing.

If so, then he'd failed her. Despite promising her that she wouldn't die, he'd broken that promise and utterly FAILED her—

"I'm here," a voice responded at last. It was faint, incredibly frail and full of uncertainty, as if incapable of grasping just what had happened in this situation, but that light tone couldn't have belonged to anyone else.

Just by hearing that, it relieved him of his worries. He smiled faintly.

"Good... That's good, that's really good to hear. I was, I was beginning to think that… W- well, anyway…"

Just as he was about to reach down to the pouch attached to his waist, about to take out a crystal and take them home, a gentle hand took hold of his arm to stop him. Even though she barely had any strength in her hand, his had absolutely no strength of which to speak.

"It's okay. It's over, Kirito... There aren't any more monsters. You can stop now." Sachi said a strange thing to him. "Please… There's no need to fight anymore."

She sounded like she was begging, he wasn't sure what she was talking about. No need to fight anymore? He didn't really get it, but even though he'd saved her and they were safe for now, that wasn't going to last much longer, so—

All of a sudden, his body began to topple over, and then it all clicked in his head. Even though it was over, he'd been standing in place, still in a battle position with his sword raised, unconsciously prepared to execute another skill should any other monster abruptly appear to threaten her life. His sword slipped from his hands, but just as he was about to hit the ground, Sachi caught him with her two arms just in time, letting out a harsh gasp as she did so. Of course, there was no way her strength stat was high enough to carry a human being, but she tried anyway.

"It's... It's enough now. It's over, Kirito."

"I- I- I'm sorry, I…" He fumbled to find words to describe the situation, but he was so weak right now that, if a rabbit were to bump into him, then that'd be enough to finish him off. But as he tried to find the words, he was hushed by the very girl who was struggling to carry him.

As his vision slowly cleared, he could see the expression on her face—and it was an expression he didn't want to see.

Pained, empty, uncertain, traumatized. To him, Ducker, Tetsuo, and Sasamaru were his close allies, but it must've been even worse for her, especially since they were friends she'd come to know in real life. And now she'd seen them all die. They were gone, forever, both in this world and in the other world. As soon as their HP had hit zero, the microwave battery in their NerveGears activated, permanently frying their brains.

Even if the game were to be cleared, the families of those three would never be able to see their children wake up again. What little hope they had left crushed. It was only understandable.

No matter how powerful he was, he couldn't have saved any of them. No, even if he was at the cap, even if he was at Lv. 100, then he still wouldn't have been able to do so. Even saving one person was a miracle in and of itself.

"…Sorry, Sachi." But even then, Kirito could only apologize over and over again for his powerlessness. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. So, so sorry…"

"It's okay," she reassured him weakly, devoid of any real emotion. "Let's… Let's just go."

Holding him down until he was on the ground, Sachi proceeded to take out a Teleport Crystal, her hand shaking as she did so.

Then, pressing down on the weakened Beater's chest without any strength to call her own, she uttered the words _"Teleport, Town of Beginnings."_

The crystal glowed in response, enshrouding them in a painfully bright light that picked them up and immediately transferred them to a much safer location. One without constantly-respawning monsters, without the danger of taking damage, without people dying around them.

* * *

Back then, when they appeared in the Town of Beginnings, being battered, deathly low on HP, looking like they'd just come out of a warzone and desperately trying their best not to break down on the spot, it was a wonder what the others made of the two players. With the assistance of some others who were concerned about their condition, they were able to make it to an inn.

Six hours and forty-three minutes had passed since then.

It was nearly midnight in the inn room, and neither Kirito nor Sachi had said anything during this time. Nor did they consider sleep. As of right now, sleep seemed to be something impossible.

As they were both 'broken', a broken thing couldn't possibly find any peace in slumber.

If he honestly had to admit it, Kirito had never really thought about the very real death feature in this virtual world before. He'd never considered what it must be like for the other players. He concentrated only on getting stronger, only on being able to clear the unbeatable game. Systematically defeating monsters and earning experience points, he had never let his health drop into the red zone, and assumed that everyone else had also gotten used to the system over time, that they would adapt to it.

Even after having seen people die, he only barely understood the extreme terror that resulted from the 'death game' called Sword Art Online. It wasn't hard for him to survive, to find proper amounts of col as well as discover the locations of NPCs, but he never thought that the same might not apply to others. For those whose levels were low and who constantly lived in a state of danger and unpredictable happenings, always living in fear of dying, what was it like? So many of them must've been afraid, but at the same time, they did their best to laugh, cry, and live as best as possible inside an unfamiliar, deadly world.

Before he met Sachi, he could never understand it. He'd even taken it for granted. But afterwards, he had begun to realize—death was worse than anything.

Whenever someone died, that person would cease to be for the rest of eternity. They wouldn't be able to do things or achieve their lifelong goals anymore, and for every family out there hoping for them to wake up, all that awaited them was bad news.

"I'm sorry," Kirito apologized once more, breaking the silence.

"It's not your fault," Sachi responded, trying to sound as normal as possible…

However, as their eyes met and she saw the look on his face, that illusion was shattered in an instant. The emotion, the utter sadness and despair that she'd been holding back broke through the wall she'd put up and rushed up towards the surface in the form of thick tears.

She didn't make an effort to wipe away her tears. She didn't scream nor did she cry out. The quiet, subdued nature of her flowing tears and the occasional gasp of breath was somehow even worse than that. It was as if she no longer had any energy left to curse the world. With her figure curled up on the mattress, her eyes void of meaning locked with his, she was like a dying stray animal. One nothing left to live for.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. If he said anything, then it would only be a lie to make them both feel worse. So in the end, all he could do was lie down in bed next to her, wrap his arms around her, and hold her tightly until she could begin to settle down.

"It's okay, Kirito. It's okay."

But even though she was the one suffering the most, she reached out a hand and wiped away the tears in his own eyes. Naturally, he was crying as well. Of course he was crying. There was no such thing as a human being who could see their friends die without breaking down at some point.

And that was how it lasted for the rest of the night.

Without moving from their positions, their eyes wide open, the only 'comfort' they could find in this world was in each other.

* * *

**Oh, I'm sorry, did you think the Moonlit Black Cats were all going to survive? Or, did you expect something less depressing? Did you think that this was going to be a cuddly KiritoxSachi fic?...well then, TOO BAD.**

**You know, I decided to write this for one reason and one reason only. Sword Art Online definitely would've been better had Sachi survived to the end. Had her relationship with Kirito been given more room to grow, would she have learned to conquer her fear or would she only get even more depressed to the point of being unable to do anything? Whatever the answer is, her dynamic with him was so much better than with Asuna. I mean, I don't hate Asuna or anything, but...what if?**

******This first chapter was unexpectedly long, but it serves to set the air for the rest of the story. **Thantophobia is a (obvious) legitimate psychological problem, and the kind of mental disorders that SAO gave its players is something that I fully intend on exploring. Death is not a joke, you know?  


**Welp, if you liked this, then feel free to review~**

_...And yes, I haven't forgotten about Keita :3 he'll come in very, VERY soon~_


	2. To Exist

**To update or not to update... **

**That is, I'm afraid, _not_ the question.  
**

* * *

On an empty street in the midst of the Town of Beginnings, a few days after the events, they finally worked up the 'will' to confront him and inform the leader of the guild what happened.

When they first found him, he was smiling brightly, wondering where they'd been, innocently wondering where the others were. And, just by looking at him, it almost as if everything was just as it was, almost as if none of that tragedy had ever really happened, and almost as if the experiences those two had to go through were nothing more than a horrible, horrible nightmare… The key word to that being 'almost', for in the end, every illusion of happiness can only be smashed into pieces when confronted with the truth of the matter.

Though he wanted to break the illusion least of all, Kirito found his mouth moving before he even realized it. He talked in a daze, and despite lacking the strength to do so, he forced himself to keep on talking anyway. Just by talking about it, he could feel the pain. The distress, the exhaustion, the utter despair.

"That… That can't possibly be…"

Each and every one of his words felt hollow, not missing a detail but at the same time lacking any meaning whatsoever in them, and the only thing they brought was a sharp pain that he had long since gotten familiar to within the span of a few days. He explained all about it. About how a trap on one of the higher floors activated, about how it caught the Moonlit Black Cats, and about how only two members survived. How he'd been lying all this time, how he possessed a level far higher than the rest of them, and how the only one whom he'd been able to save was Sachi. Only her, and no one else. The rest were murdered indiscriminately, without any resemblance of humanity or remorse. Not even a cause for which they could've died for. Not weakening a boss, not contributing to getting a rare item, nothing. It was all in vain. There was a trace of sadness within his voice, but to feel sad at this would to be to express an emotion that was already malfunctioning.

Keita struggled to stay standing, suppressing any reaction while partly hoping that this was just some sort of elaborate prank and that the others were going to pop up any second now. However, needless to say, deep down he knew that this couldn't possibly be true. That there was no such thing as a joke this cruel. His left hand was firmly clenched around a brand new set of keys, once a symbol for the bright future of their guild, but now only a remnant of something that no existed.

Whenever someone's HP reached zero, the NerveGear they wore would fry their brains as a penalty. Aincrad was made up of immense amounts of programming, being able to simulate many different kinds of miracles, but they were all just that. Simulations. Even if they had some hypothetical in-game item used for revival, they would never return. Even the real world wasn't capable of reviving anyone. If nothing else, each and every player understood this fact from the moment they were first imprisoned inside the virtual game called Sword Art Online.

Even if everyone else made it out of this utter hell, none of the ones who died would ever be there to welcome them in turn. All of their family and friends out there had spent the better half of the past year worrying, praying, hoping, and believing that someday, someday they would wake up. That someday, everything could go back to normal and everyone could return back to the lives they used to live.

However, for Ducker, Tetsuo, and Sasamaru, along with all the others who suffered the same fate… There would be no such salvation. Simply out of bad luck or lack or foresight, they'd been denied from ever having that chance.

It was true that the only one who could really be blamed was the no-doubt insane creator responsible for the development of the game, Kayaba, but he did give them a way to escape, Keita had always wanted to believe that it was some kind of test. Only by cooperating together, keeping their strategies and equipment intact, not risking anyone's lives and charging onwards without casualty could they reach the hundredth floor and defeat the final boss. To do anything risky here meant certain death, and at the beginning, all of the Moonlit Black Cats had understood that sticking together in this manner, upholding this belief, they were slowly paving their way to the same place the Clearers were.

"So, you're a Beater. Then that means it's all your fault…"

In other words, the reason that so many of his friends had been killed was because they'd been led astray.

"Why did you come into our lives?! What made you think that YOU COULD JUST INTERFERE WITH WHOEVER YOU WANTED?! What were we, your puppets?!...If you never showed up, _THEN NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!"_

It was not merely an accusation, but the truth. It couldn't be debated. It was Kirito's own arrogance whom had killed those three members. Had they never met him, then they would've remained within the safe middle zone, and would never have triggered a trap that was fatal even to the higher-leveled Clearers.

Silence. The dark solo player did not respond, or rather, he had no right to respond.

"Come on, Sachi… Let's go."

With a vacant, darkened expression that refused to show any sort of pain, Keita took a step forward and held his hand out. Not towards the hellish creature standing before him, but towards the sole survivor of the massacre, as well as the sole remaining thread that held him back from breaking down in despair like a puppet. If this string was cut too, then it seemed like he would sink into a bottomless, dark void from which there was no salvation.

Time passed by, and for a passing eternity, the frail girl did not move, not responding, merely looking downwards with both her hands behind her back. Shaking, trembling, wanting all of this end. Still, this was a decision that only she could make, and she had to break the silence one way or another.

Normally, there shouldn't even be such a cruel decision, since all three of them were remnants of the tragedy of the Moonlit Black Cats, and they should all be sticking together because of that. However, the problem was that one of them was an outsider. Not just an outsider, but a BEATER whose infamy was such that he always placed priority on himself over the other eight thousand surviving players, an individual who should be DAMNED by every other living creature he comes across for his selfishness, living only for the sake of his own survival, never understanding what it meant to truly meant to aid others. To her, he must've been nothing but a passing stranger who had stopped to help, and yet ultimately served to bring about a disastrous ruin.

To thank or accept his help under any circumstances at this point would be an insult to every single other player out there who had given up their lives in the name of 'survival'. Therefore, the result to this dilemma was not only obvious but inevitable.

Thus, the only one whom she could really trust in was her former neighbor and close childhood friend, Keita. As someone she was close to in reality, it would be best if she were to be in his company, rather than that of a solo player who didn't actually understand how to work with others or keep them alive.

Kirito may have kept his promise and saved her, but at what cost? At what cost? It was clear now that there was no place for him here, that there was never any place for him. He never had any right to have interfered with their lives, and his only goal should've been to keep on fighting, getting stronger and stronger, without any kind of personal feelings getting in the way. A Beater's utmost priority was to put themselves above others, and in turn be the most hated of them all for exactly that same behavior. It was his own mistake for thinking that he could find any better happiness by joining a lowly guild.

So, what could he do but settle the matter and leave the two of them behind? The black swordsman turned, his dark cloak waving behind him as he did so, and began to walk away with this in mind.

However—

Just as he was about to leave, a hand lightly tugged onto the hem of his sleeve, lacking any sort of real power, but it was enough to keep him.

The question on his mind at that moment was, 'why'? He turned around to see who it was, and his eyes were met with Sachi's own sapphire eyes. Still empty, but now for some reason, there was a hint of what vaguely resembled determination within them.

"Sachi, what are you…?"

Then, to the bafflement of both boys, she opened up her mouth and spoke out, as if to voice out her final conviction amidst the thick, despairing atmosphere.

"I'm staying," answered Sachi, putting as much force as she could muster into her voice. "With_… _him. With **Kirito.**"

What she said was so surprising, so incomprehensible that it took the both of them off-guard. One stumbled back in shock, and the other just remained standing there with a dazed look, failing to process her words in any way with his arm frozen there in place. Why? It had to be asked.

Why, why, why? Why would she say that? Why would anyone say that? What was the reason to that decision, the motivation which prompted her to say such a foolish, illogical thing that made no sense? No, more importantly, did she herself know why she'd said such a thing? Did she honestly understand what it meant, how stupid it was, or how much she was probably going to regret this in the future? What was even going on in her head when she said something like that, like staying with the guy responsible for the tragedy that they'd all had to go through? Did she for whatever crazy reason believe that a _Beater,_ out of all the bastards in this game, could keep on protecting her for as long as they remained in this game, over her own real friend?!

"Sachi, you…"

Or, was there perhaps another reason for her choice?

…

Keita was at a loss for words, but at last, he let his arm drop passively. And with it, his expression hardened in such a sullen, somber way that it was impossible to guess the turmoil going on inside his head. But, somewhere down there, he must've felt at least somewhat betrayed.

"I see. So that's how it is," he said coldly in response, proceeding to turn his back around with his hands clenched tightly, so tightly that they would've no doubt begun to bleed if this were the real world.

The warm air that he used to have had frozen, condensing into ice, and somehow, it felt as though he would never turn to look back at them again. Within the span of a few minutes, the person called Keita had been pummeled into dust, and in his place was a completely different individual. Someone whom was totally unfamiliar.

"…If that's the case, then protect her. _Protect her._ Do you hear me, _BEATER_? I don't care about your shitty level or what kind of game you think you're playing. If she gets hurt under any circumstances, then I swear that I will personally drag you into hell."

* * *

"Ah..."

Five months later, her eyes snapped open, and she found herself sitting in the middle of the bed wide awake, with her body tense and her breath uneven.

Each intake of the virtual oxygen felt hoarse, like a dagger attempting to stab through into her chest, but after some time the unpleasant feeling relented, and everything went back to normal. The memories that were swirling in her head right now were so unbelievably horrible, and for a second, she almost wondered if it was all just a bad nightmare.

But no. There was no such convenience, and instead, this was reality. Even in Sword Art Online, people were capable of dreams. However, why did it have to have such a function? Because of this, she had to go through the same hell each and every night, and forget the contents of the same nightmare with each new dawn.

_Wake up. _

_Eat. _

_Go to sleep. _

_Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, _

_and repeat again. _

There was no room for any other thought, no room for reflection. The only thing that would be allowed was a monotonous existence, which would numb as much pain as possible. Even after three thousand six hundred and ninety-two hours, this state must be maintained, for as long as possible. The only reason that she was even alive for was the sake of survival itself, and really, could two walking husks devoid of thought really be called living beings? Living beings had hobbies, interests, things they wanted to do or accomplish, and even in this virtual world, that didn't change. If one were to go by that definition, then no.

Though her mind continued to function, she couldn't possibly be called alive like this, only being there to take up space for things that could otherwise be used more valuably, and ultimately disappear quietly, without anyone to mourn her during her disappearance—or at least, that was how it went in theory.

Fortunately or not, the truth was that no matter how hard she tried, shutting down one's own emotions was impossible. Given time, even the deepest inflicted wound would begin to heal and eventually, that individual would be capable of standing back up on their own two feet. With help, of course.

Glancing out the window, it appeared as though she'd woken up during the night. 5 AM. Then, just as it occurred to her that Kirito wasn't here, the sound of a door opening came from nearby, rousing her consciousness once more.

"Hm...?"

Lifting up her head, she turned her gaze to see that boy with dark hair, who entered with an unfamiliar, dark wool-trimmed coat equipped. A new item? Where did he get it this time? Even though he told her that he wasn't going to go to the frontlines anymore, he'd begun leaving the bed nearly every night now, and sometimes, such as tonight, he would come back with a new, apparently rare item that he would forget to unequip. Only a few days ago, he reappeared with a strange dark sword called the Elucidator. As intelligent as he was, a part of her couldn't help but doubt his negotiating skills with other players for the sake of trading, and yet, as for the other only plausible options…

"Kirito?"

"Yo. Sorry for waking you up, Sachi," apologized Kirito, bowing slightly. Though their digital avatars normally couldn't display any physical defects, it wasn't hard for her to notice that certain tiredness in his eyes. He was definitely the stronger of the two, striving for the both of them, but he shouldn't be trying so hard.

"It's fine. I was already awake," she responded.

"Oh, okay. So that's how it is." He nodded in understanding, not saying anything further.

The two players existed side by side, relying on each other for comfort and sustaining each other the same way, and yet, they'd rarely ever talked much in the past several months. More often than not, this was about as far as their conversations went, and usually how they ended as well.

But then, "Where did you get the coat?"

As Sachi asked, a worried look suddenly crossed the boy's face as if he'd just realized that he was wearing it.

"Oh, er, this? This is- well- you see, I er, _bought_ it – right - from a, erm…merchant on the…thirteenth floor?" Kirito replied hastily, trying to speak normally but ending up stumbling over his words as he waved his hands about, trying to think up of a plausible answer. But for a guy like him, who always seemed confident in how the game worked and always knew how to make the best use out of it, being so nervous about such things wasn't his style.

So it was when he was acting like this that Sachi could tell he was lying—and frankly, it was so painfully obvious this time around that she couldn't help but smile faintly.

Maybe now was the best time to bring up the issue.

"Hey, Kirito," she began.

"…Yeah?"

"You got it from the frontlines, didn't you?" It was only a guess, but by the surprised look that crossed his face when she suggested it, she knew that it was the truth.

Or well, she'd known about it ever since he first started sneaking out of the bed to go off elsewhere. The only reason she hadn't brought it up until was because she wanted to desperately believe that it wasn't true. That he wasn't going out to keep on risking his life on the battlefield, with the rest of the Clearers where the chance of death was at its highest.

"W- w- well, what… What makes you say that, Sachi?" asked Kirito, purposely avoiding her gaze.

"According to the Daily Argo, one of the latest floors cleared, Myujen, is the first to have a snow setting. And well, that looks like a winter coat," she responded with her eyes narrowed at him, offering a rational explanation. "That, and how this isn't the first time you've gone off on your own… I think I can guess what you're doing. You plan on rejoining the Clearers."

It wasn't a question, but a fact. She didn't bother asking why either, since the reason was just as obvious.

It wasn't just that he wanted enough strength to protect her, he was more than strong enough already for that, he wanted to provide aid to the Clearers and help them clear the floors faster. As of right now, they were only halfway through, and the bosses and dungeons in the future were only going to further increase in difficulty, so they needed as much help as they could get. Not only was his aid was valuable as an experienced Beater, but he surely couldn't stand just lying around like this. Just existing. Just doing nothing while others risked their lives in his place.

But did he really think that she wasn't going to notice? That he could keep sneaking out at night, continually fighting on his own to level up, train his stats, and risk his life again and again and again without her suspecting it?

For a moment, Kirito stayed silent, reluctant to admit the truth. He pursed his lips, looking a bit conflicted, but in the end he shook his head before returning her look seriously. "Guess there's no hiding it, huh… You're right, Sachi. Everything you've said is true, and I, I sincerely apologize…"

"Why. Didn't. You. _Tell me?!" _

Though she'd intended to keep handling the situation calmly, before she knew it she was yelling out of control, standing up the bed, and picking up the pillow before violently threw the pillow into his face. It hit his face with a loud plomp before falling down, not leaving any visible damage, but his expression seemed somewhat pained in a way afterwards.

"Do you think it's not my business, or that I shouldn't know about this? Do you think that you can just do whatever you want without other people caring about you? You can't just risk your life, it's dangerous! You s- s- suggested that we should just stay put with the Army and wait until all the floors are cleared, didn't you?! That we shouldn't risk our lives anymore?! It's getting more dangerous for solo players on these higher floors, you know, and if you keep going like this, then what if something happens a- a- and you… And what if y—..._mmpppppppphh_!"

Before Sachi could finish, she found herself suddenly being pulled close towards him, strong arms having wrapped around her in such a way that most of her strength drained just like that.

Though she tried to struggle against it at first, she quickly realized that it was no use, that it was ridiculously hard to come up with a protest for something like this. Having him this close with his chest pressing against her, feeling so soft that she felt tempted to snuggle deeper into it, it seemed like the rest of the world was just being washed away, leaving. Every fear, every worry, every concern melting away underneath this feeling of incomparable warmth, and somehow, despite being an imitation made out of data, she had no doubt that it could only ever really be real.

"Can you trust me?" whispered Kirito, just when she thought that she was about to fall asleep in his embrace.

After thinking for a bit, she breathlessly replied, "Y- yes, of course. But…"

"But?"

"But, I just wish you'd trust me too. If you keep doing this, then what am I going to do if… If you…?"

"I said it myself, didn't I? You won't die. Even if I'm gone, there's always him. There's always Keita."

"Idiot. You make him sound like a spare," she pointed out distastefully, letting out a sigh at a name that she hadn't heard from in a long time. But more importantly, she felt annoyed at his attitude, and even being hugged by him wouldn't make her forget about that. Wasn't he going to think about his own safety? "And besides, what about you, Kirito? Are you going to keep on risking your life on the frontlines? If you do, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to stop you. Even if it's for my sake, I won't care about that."

"Sachi, it's okay. My level is higher than the standard, so there's no way I—"

"Even if you're at the maximum level, that won't change the fact that you can still die, idiot."

At that, he stayed silent, unable to respond for a while.

Then Kirito finally relented, and said, "Alright then. I guess you're tired, so you should go back to sleep. Sorry for worrying you so much."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's alright. Everything's going to be alright…"

As if to prove this, he moved his hand to start stroking her hair, causing her to sink further, unconsciously making herself cuddle deeper towards him and hugging him in turn just in case he tried to leave. It was so unbelievably warm that without realizing it, she was drifting away into another realm, her eyes growing heavy, beginning to close while her consciousness ebbed away.

A small section at the back of her head was trying to tell her otherwise, that this was an obvious attempt by him to make her fall asleep and that she shouldn't be distracted, but before Sachi could put any serious effort into it, her eyelids had already shut tight, thought process coming to a st—

* * *

...It took some time, but eventually, she fell asleep again, her body being gently lain against the bedsheets with her arms stretched out, not realizing that the person in question had just slipped out of it.

Normally she would have an agonized look on her face while resting, an indication that she was having some kind of nightmare, but this time she looked more innocent and serene l than she'd ever been before, snuggling onto the surface of the blanket peacefully. Kirito was almost tempted to just sit down by her side and watch her like this, but knew that he couldn't. Not only would it be creepy, but there were also other things that he would have to do first. He'd originally intended to take a temporary rest by her side, but after having used up the better half of a whole hour comforting her, it might be better if he left now. To be early would be better than being late, after all.

Letting out a sigh, he got off the bed and did sliding motion with his finger to open the menu, rearranging his skills a little and equipping the Elucidator, a recent rare drop he'd gotten from a miniboss on the fiftieth floor. He felt even more exhausted now that he knew that Sachi found out about him, but maybe this was for the best. This way, he could discuss about it with her and ultimately convince her to let him keep on fighting, somehow, he wasn't sure how but he'd manage. It was a matter to think about more later. For now, there was a more important matter that he had to go to, and he could deal with the consequences once it was over. Hopefully, she wouldn't do anything risky like wandering off into a dungeon on her own, but as she hadn't even left the inn in the past several months, this seemed incredibly unlikely.

Of course, he couldn't exactly be relieved about that either, but he wasn't about to force her to do anything too difficult. What they'd had to experience was something that no one their age should ever have to go through, and in all honesty, the horror of being within that trap, the nightmare of seeing them all die, the terror of having to keep on fighting for their own survival, of attempting to save the rest of them in vain… The damage caused by that alone was enough to drive him close to insanity if he ever let himself think about it. It must've been even worse for her, and he could imagine why she wouldn't want him to keep on risking his life. If he died, then by extension, her life would be in danger.

However, if the players of this world continued to deal with Sword Art Online like that, without a level of caution, then more occurrences like that would only happen more. Unexpected deaths. How many times had he heard of a player being killed by monsters while letting their guard down, on their way back from a dungeon? It was a fact that the more time passed, the more people would die in here.

"I'll be back soon," he affirmed, before leaving out the room and the inn with his wool coat still on.

Making his way towards the empty town plaza of Panareze, it seemed that the black swordsman was just in time for the sun to start phasing from black to a faded orange, signaling for the coming of an artificial winter sunrise. Looking up at it reminded him of how Christmas had been a few days ago. Rumors told of how an event boss called Nicholas the Renegade was meant to appear on that date, and how it dropped an item that could revive the dead, but in the end he never discovered its location. Not that something like that could ever truly exist anyway, since no matter what sort of effect an in-game item had, it couldn't possibly restore the dead.

Speaking of bosses, this particular one that lay at the end of the fiftieth floor dungeon was going to be a extraordinarily-powerful quarter boss in the form of a golden golem. Apart from that, not much else was known about it, though chances were that it was going to be much more powerful than any of the prior bosses that the Clearers had to face in the past. In order to defeat it, they would need as much information and aid as possible from others, having to plan elaborately so that the tragedy on the twenty-fifth floor wouldn't be repeated again.

Had Sachi forced him to tell her anything about this, she may have very well fainted from the sheer prospect of danger. And he had to admit, against something like this, even his high level wasn't going to save him very much.

However, the guilds on the frontlines must've been aware of this possibility already, and they've surely come up with a plan to minimize the amount of casualties against the boss. Thus, in a way, it might even have a wider margin of safety than the average boss fight! Or so he told himself.

_"Teleport, Algade."_

As he materialized in a wide, massive town with various random crisscrossing alleyways, Kirito glanced at the left, took a deep breath and started to walk in that direction.

He cast away his doubts.

It was time to attend the strategy meeting of the 50th Floor Boss, the Awakened Titan.

* * *

**More setup! Praise the setup!**

**So, this was a chapter of comfort, and now Kirito's and Sachi's current psyches have been established. I mean, just look at these traumatized kids, when will they ever learn that there's more to SAO than just fighting, surviving, and crying over trauma that middle-school students certainly should never have to go through? Je****ez, if they're not equipped for seeing their closest friends murdered in front of them, then just what exactly are they teaching the next generation these days?**

_..._

_Next time, on **"Doki Doki! My Dark Prince KIRITO"**: _

_Kirito and Sachi discover the true meaning of Christmas (a week late) and revive the Moonlit Black Cats with the power of love and friendship! It's a heart-pounding victory for everyone!_


End file.
